exotic britain

[clackdish]

have wondered about this for a while and done some research and think it would make a good series for tv ha ha, looking at the thread about the swordfish it made me think about how many species most folk think of as 'foreign' habit our shores i know of seahorse colonies as far north as scotland
and we have populations of scorpions down south, how many more do people know of that have settled here that would be assumed to be exotic ?
apologies if there is a similar thread else where on here and shame on me for not looking but hey its late and i need my bed ha ha, looking forward to any input

[Amoeba]

Crickets possibly? If I'm correct, they're not very common in the UK and they're entirely absent in Scotland, the sorts of insects you'd expect to hear when you're on holiday overseas.

[Susie]

Parakeets.

[connerlake]

Mini kangaroo's aka wallabies.

[Kayleigh]

Hummingbird hawkmoths have started breeding here now having made their own way here..
but muntjack deer were escapees..

[Adam Cheeseman]

Do you mean those that have been introduced (accidentally/deliberately) such as Ring-necked Parakeets or those that have colonised naturally such as Little Egret? Or are you not differentiating?

Cheers,

Adam

[solus]

Stick insects, Isles of Scilly. Accidental introductions on plants for Tresco Abbey Gardens.

[clackdish]

not differentiating just that they are breeding here

[pressld2]

How about wasp spiders? Did they get here under their own steam (and if so, how?) or were they introduced either accidentally or deliberately?

Dave P.

[clackdish]

The European yellow-tailed scorpion, or Euscorpus flavicaudis
residing in Sheerness Dockyard. It's the largest and most well known wild scorpion colony in the UK. it's thought there are over 10,000 now living in the crevices of the walls at Sheerness Docks.

[Meta menardi]

Dicranopalpus ramosus.
Uloborus plumipes.
Achaearanea tepidariorum.

And I am sure there are others.

[clackdish]

Colonies of rare seahorses are living and breeding in the River Thames,
The short-snouted,hippocampus hippocampus, variety are endangered and normally live around the Canary Islands and Italy.
Experts at London Zoo said the species had been found at Dagenham in east London and Tilbury and Southend in Essex
H.guttulatus the spiny seahorsecan be found at Studland Bay in Dorset,
these are the only two types found in uk waters
The seahorses, or Hippocampus hippocampus, are now protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.

[Adam Cheeseman]

Originally Posted by pressld2

How about wasp spiders? Did they get here under their own steam (and if so, how?) or were they introduced either accidentally or deliberately?

Dave P.

Probably most likely natural colonisers Dave. Spiderlings can float airborne for many miles on gossamer strands. So crossing the channel should present no problem.

Cheers,

Adam

[pressld2]

Originally Posted by Adam Cheeseman

Spiderlings can float airborne for many miles on gossamer strands.

Thanks Adam. I know it's a cliché but... "Ain't nature wonderful?"

Dave P.

[Jason Claxton]

On another thread Clackdish you might suggest the converse, which is how Exotic birds like the Pheasant have come to be seen as a traditional part of the British countryside.

[sidewalkdoctor]

Wall Lizards at Ventnor in the Isle of Wight

.

[Hobjob]

Try
Neil - UK Alien animals ? an introduction to Britain?s non native wildlife
as a starting point. (though it doesn't seem to include mink).

And from when are you counting? - everything has come in since the last ice age!

[pressld2]

Originally Posted by Hobjob

(though it doesn't seem to include mink).

He's hidden it under N for North American Mink. It's between Edible Dormouse and Grey Squirrel.

Dave P.

[Merrow]

Trigger fish (though I haven't seen any in the last couple of years!)

[Fritillary]

Dogs, cats, cows, sheeps, rats, what else?

[clackdish]

ha ha ha ha nice one but was thinking of relativly modern last 100 years maybe

[Non native]

my website on non native species is a useful resource


European Exotics - Non native species in Europe and further afield

Mark

[clackdish]

thanks for link non native most impressive